The Easy Part is Done!

I just launched a little website project I’ve been working on for the past few months. It’s a women’s shoe fashion site with an emphasis on user participation. It’s called One Hot Pair.

It’s a simple version 1, but I like it. I’m happy with the design and the features. Even after all these years, I very much enjoy web design and development if the project feels right. I think I approach it the same way I approach other creative stuff like music or writing — I have to “feel” it on some level.

Why a women’s shoe site? I’m not sure. It’s certainly not what I expected I’d want to work on after leaving Zappos. But I suppose it provided a bit of catharsis for me. Sort of letting myself approach the subject with a fresh mind, uncluttered by business pressures and such.

So as much work as it was, I do think making the site was the easy part. It’s just an environment, and for it to be of any use it would need people to take part in rating and commenting on shoes. The more people who use it, the more interesting it potentially becomes. Bootstrapping that process has no obvious solution, but I’ll tinker with it over the next year and see if anything grows.